Sulfur dioxide bad for human consumption?

Question

I frequently purchase a brand of sundried tomatoes...man are they good. Thing is, one of the ingredients is sulfur dioxide; a harmful preservative? I'd like to know, because if it is I'll find another brand. Gracias.

Answer 1

If there were even a minimally significant amount of SO2 present in the product, you couldn't help smell and taste it.

Dried fruits and vegetables (apricots and prunes and such as well as tomatoes) are "sulfured" at the beginning of the drying process. What is done is, they are sliced and laid on slatted wooden racks. Then a quantity of sulfur is placed under the racks and ignited. Smoke containing SO2 is produced and passes over the fruit or vegetable. This keeps them from turning black and prevents decay and insect infestation. They then sit out for as long as it takes to dry out - usually at least a week. But as they sit out in the sun on racks, drying, essentially all the SO2 dissipates. There really is none in what you have; it's only on the outside change that a negligible smidge is still present that it shows on the label.

So don't worry.

Answer 2

Sulphur dioxide is a harmful, colourless gas with an irritating odour. It dissolves in rain water to form acid rain.can be dangerous to people with asthema

Answer 3

Yeah its harmful. Toss it and find another brand!